PIA News Service - Sunday, June 19, 2011

BUTUAN CITY, June 19 (PIA) -– The dropout rate in elementary and high school levels in Agusan del Norte decreased in 2010.

During the State of the Province Address (SOPA) of Governor Erlpe John Amante, he reported that more pupils and students are enrolled in the public schools in 2010 compared to the previous year.

Amante said this can be attributed to the programs implemented by the government such as the Government Assistance for Student Teachers in the Private School (GASTPE). Under this program, more than 174 students were able to enrolled in schools because of the additional teachers from the private schools who were supported by the program.

The province’s chief executive also cited the Food for School Program where day care pre-schoolers as well as elementary pupils were able to receive one kilo of rice daily. “The program which costs at around P5 million budget benefitted 2,752 pupils aside from the provincial scholarship program given to less fortunate pupils,” Amante said.

Because of this, Amante said the province will always be ready to face the challenge of giving quality education in its effort to achieve the “Education for All” program of the national government. (PIA-Caraga)

BUTUAN CITY, June 19 (PIA) –- “Our division is still the model of all schools in the entire Caraga Region,” said Agusan del Norte Gov. Erlpe John Amante during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) held recently at the Capitol covered court here.

Gov. Amante said the Department of Education (DepEd)-Agusan del Norte Division has achieved the highest Mean Percentage Score (MPS) in the entire divisions in Caraga Region.

Amante said in the elementary level, the division has achieved an MPS of 85.98 percent, a 10.98 percent higher than the national standard which is 75 percent.

The province’s top official also reported that 22 new classrooms were constructed in 2010 and 14 classrooms were repaired and refurnished in order to meet with the problem of classrooms because of the high number of enrollees in the public schools.

In order to meet the demands of global manpower resources, Gov. Amante said the provincial government was able to send 14,944 students in the technical-vocational training program. “All these students have successfully finished the program and were absorbed by different companies here and abroad,” he said.

With this, the chief executive of the province enjoins the parents and the students to be diligent so that they may be able to finish their education to prepare them to land a job. “This will help solve the unemployment problem of the country,” Gov. Amante said. (PIA-Caraga)

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Butuan City supports World Blood Donor Day

by Gerry G. Gabiana

BUTUAN CITY, June 19 -– To give support to the worldwide celebration of the World Blood Donor Day - Celebrating the Gift of Blood, the city government here conducted a blood-letting spearheaded by the city health office in coordination with the Butuan City Medical Center and Philippine Red Cross held recently at the city’s Rizal Park.

In his message, City Councilor Dr. Virgilio Nery emphasized that donating blood means “to save life, and achieving a healthy physique.” Nery added that as blood donors, “you are saving life and you are a hero.”

Councilor Nery is the Chairman of the council’s Committee on Health.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., chairman of the Blood Coordinating Council here is so grateful to the people who participated for the success of the activity.

Prior to the bloodletting activity, a motorcade was conducted to give awareness to the public of the importance of donating blood.

Different sectors of society, majority of which are from the academe who actively participated and were able to voluntarily donate blood, it was gathered. (Butuan City PIO/PIA-Caraga)